An Act relative to benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepine hypnotics

HD 2523 defines benzodiazepines (like alprazolam) and non-benzodiazepine hypnotics (like zolpidem) for regulatory purposes. It requires pharmacists to include bolded cautionary statements about long-term use risks on medication labels and to distribute educational pamphlets covering misuse, addiction risks, storage, and treatment resources. The bill also mandates written patient consent before prescribing these drugs, limits refills to less than 10 days without a new prescription, and creates a commission to study safe discontinuation protocols. These changes directly affect patients prescribed these medications, pharmacists, and healthcare providers in Massachusetts.